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Ramblings
Feb 3, 2021 0:17:20 GMT -5
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Post by notjuanjones on Feb 3, 2021 0:17:20 GMT -5
A brief story.
When I was in college, I became friends with one of my classmates. She was, as they say in Boston, wicked smaht. Brilliant. Much smarter than me, and I’m pretty smart. And I fell head over heels for her. It stayed unrequited for three years, though we stayed friends, until we were seniors. And then, we dated for a couple of months. And we seemed to argue a lot when we were dating, like we were trying to one/up each other intellectually. And it just kind of petered out, though we’re still really good friends.
Now, if you ask me was it the most fun I’ve ever had with a girlfriend, I’d say no, not even close. It was WORK. It was hard. I’ve been married 20 years to my wife, and we’ve had maybe five bad days in all that time. I was never comfortable for more than a few minutes at a time with my “head over heels.”
But was my college girlfriend/combatant the love of my life? Yeah. I think so.
I think that’s Maddie and David. There’s no way in hell they’d make it as a LTR. Zero chance. It’s just too volatile. They’re too different. It’s hard to stay in a volatile relationship. But there’s no one that lights you up more inside, that gets to your soul more, you know? It’s not meant to last. The best moments in your life never do. That’s why they’re moments.
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Post by sandra on Feb 3, 2021 6:00:53 GMT -5
I'm still here, Marta. I needed a moment yesterday and I might need it again tomorrow. Maddie the cat is not going to get better. She will be put to sleep tomorrow. But thank you, and Anna, for your kind words. I never expected to get this emotional over a cat. Maybe it's due to the fact that she was around for almost every life changing moment; she was there when my mom passed away, she was there when I met my husband.. when we bought a house together... when we got married and when I gave birth to our daughter... so yeah, she was my buddy. I'll miss her.
So no custard pie throwing contest for me right now. I'm in a 'fire bad, tree pretty' kind of zone right now (to speak in Buffyverse, Anna), meaning that I need to be distracted by sickeningly sweet happy endings for a day or two. Then, we can continue our talk. But I like notjueanjones approach in this. I really do.
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marta
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Post by marta on Feb 3, 2021 6:28:32 GMT -5
Sandra, I am so sorry. I know how it is, I grieved over two cats and currently we do not have one because we cannot bear to go through this again.
Maddie had a very good life with you - you cannot make it longer but you have ensured that it was the best.
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marta
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Post by marta on Feb 3, 2021 6:29:08 GMT -5
Only two posts and so many issues! Will I ever get through to Agnes as a Greek chorus?
Yes, it must feel unfair to be extra busy just now, but you can always disagree with us later, Essed! On non- regular partnerships.
There is much more to musicians’ personalities than off-gig reputation. Anybody, an artist or a common garden accountant, can be motivated by their profession, especially if they wish to stay on top of their game. This is where I worry about David. He is clever, resourceful and confident but does not seem to be motivated by his job, or anything else, MORE than by having fun. Which is fine, I suppose, when one is very young, but not when over 30 yo.
It seems that there is a chance when the baby becomes his responsibility (as well as hers), but with this opportunity gone, he drifts away.
On the notion of the love of one’s life
Notjuanjones supports my firm view that M and D cannot have a successful long term relationship. This is very satisfying - the first such support here!
Our relationships at the younger age are more intense than the relationships later in life, especially the long term ones. We can label these youthful feelings as we wish. Personally, I do not believe it is helpful to label anyone a love of one’s life before we are at the end of our lives (and when we are at out wisest, one hopes). This is for the same reasons that I do not believe in a long term healthy relationship when people are not compatible; compatible in a basic way that makes sense to them. I know that I used the term ‘the love of his life’ recently in relation to David and I regret this very much now. I used it to prevent myself from being very long winded and I misrepresented my own views…
On the ATFWMW scene in the UT clip
This is the scene that follows a non-commitment scene in the car and precedes the re-conciliation when they schedule time together on Tuesdays.
The scene presents stable views of David’s, he repeats them in LE when talking to Herbert. BUT! (“everything a person says before the word ‘but’ is a lie” WGC) what convinces me that they do not have a chance is the behaviour of them both and Agnes’ comment that: ‘sometimes a tragedy brings people together, but sometimes...’ in BAYAAHP (the episode after the miscarriage). Agnes is able to engineer a cleansing moment but on their own all they can do subsequently is become pals and talk about their relationship in the past tense. They do not offer companionship to each other in a difficult time – what else is there as a litmus test?...
On Maddie projecting
I don’t agree that she did to him what she was afraid he may do to her. This is often coming in comments I read on the board. Sandra was saying recently that she was angry with Maddie for not letting David down gently in that laundromat etc… Maddie tells David all that there is to know about their incompatibility in the laundromat. It is very clear, if not very gentle.
It is not about fidelity, it is more than that. She feels their characters do not fit together and his extroversion is exhausting her. Most of adult life is very boring, by necessity; it seems he is not suited for that or not in the point in his life when he may be able to deal with it well.
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Ramblings
Feb 3, 2021 7:50:06 GMT -5
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Post by Marlena on Feb 3, 2021 7:50:06 GMT -5
Hi Sandra, I'm so sorry to hear about your cat, Maddie. It sounds like she lived a long and wonderful life. She was lucky to have you, and you were lucky to have her. I have two cats, so I can understand how you feel and what you may be going through. Thinking of you during this difficult time.
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Ramblings
Feb 3, 2021 11:03:33 GMT -5
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Post by notjuanjones on Feb 3, 2021 11:03:33 GMT -5
I’m very sorry to hear about your Maddie, Sandra. In these days of isolation for so many of us, pets are even more important than ever. I hope your memories of your time with her are a blessing in the days and weeks ahead.
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Post by sandra on Feb 4, 2021 8:47:58 GMT -5
Logging in real quick to thank you all for your heartfelt messages to me. I really appreciate it. Maddie the cat passed away peacefully a few hours ago. It's amazing how you can have a moment with an animal: I woke up insanely early this morning after a restless night. It was still dark outside and the house was quiet. My daughter and husband were still asleep. I sat down next to Maddie and out of nowhere, she crawls into my lap. It's something she rarely did. Sure, she was really social, liked to be petted and craved the attention. But crawling into one's lap was something that seemed to be reserved only for special occasions. She did it after I rescued her from the animal shelter. She did it when I brought my husband home for the first time (out of jealousy. Hahaha! Who is this guy and is he going to take my place?!). She did it when I first learned that I was pregnant and this morning, she did it again and stayed there for almost an hour. She looked at me and I looked at her and that was it. Sometimes, communication happens on a whole different level. That was our goodbye. Then, my husband and daughter woke up and she left my lap. She's at peace now and I'm okay.
Anyway, just wanted so say a quick thank you. I'll be back real soon to discuss my idea's about this show. Hugs!
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marta
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Post by marta on Feb 6, 2021 6:27:48 GMT -5
It looks like I should be doing some heavy lifting around here for the time being. So, come on, support or disagree, say anything. Sandra will join us when she is ready.
On Maddie’s respect for David I’ve written that I think that Maddie does not respect David, except, perhaps, professionally. I still think that but… what are her motivations in EAS when she explains to Agnes why she’s married Walter? Maddie says: ’he would try to reinvent himself into this perfect husband and perfect father, but he would be miserable and so would I…’ ‘.. I knew David would be hurt… but at least he would still be David…being David is a wonderful thing … it’s like first kiss, all the time…’.
She does not want to be with David because it is ‘scary’, she would always ‘be nervous’ and ‘unsure’, so it is about her. However, isn’t it ALSO an ultimate expression of respect for David that she will not try to de-Dave him, force him into a re-invention doomed to fail and make him miserable? Or is it love for him and most of all self-preservation on her part? You know already what I think about people barging into lives of others and imposing themselves into their space uninvited, love or not. I criticised Maddie’s such behaviour in BMOMS, calling it disrespectful. She does it again in WGC, when she gets into David’s apartment before he returns despite the fact that she has every reason to expect that he will return there with Annie. He returns alone and is almost contemptuous. This scene is so shattering that we focus on how awful he is to her (as well as on the supposed ‘symmetries’ with the earlier scene in IACM), while I think it is important to remember that she does not have any right to be there, in his private domain, in the first place.
Any thoughts? My take on the growth in the relationship will follow and then… (trumpets!) Agnes and the Greek chorus.
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Post by Marlena on Feb 6, 2021 16:07:31 GMT -5
Hi Marta, this is Marlena. It's funny, when I read your posts they get me all fired up. First I agree, then I disagree, then I end up having so many thoughts that I just shut down. You always back up your thoughts with evidence, which makes it difficult to disagree. But here's the thing, all the analyzing in the world will never make Season 5 of Moonlighting make any sense to me. I've watched the series three times in the last year, and I always say the same thing. Starting with BAYAAHP, Maddie and David are totally out of character. To me, it feels like a different show. Regarding the miscarriage, I understand why Maddie would dive into work and keep her emotions hidden, but I would've expected David to be there for her when she needed him. It seemed up until that point that their relationship was improving. Then in episodes like TCOM and PFL, the show tries to return to the format that was so successful in Season 2 with the crazy chase scenes, but it doesn't work well here. I can't even explain M & D's relationship in Season 5 because they are all over the place. In TCOM, they are out on a date at a fancy pool hall, Maddie's wearing a super sexy dress, and one would think they might've spent the night together. In PFL, there's that near-kiss, and some playful talk about David "spotting" her in the shower. In S&S, Maddie tells David that she had wanted him to come onto her. In TMWFE, there's the pearls and that kiss. In ISEISFISMN, there is a lot of flirting and David has some dirty request in his final wishes that Maddie finds humorous. In TLTL, Maddie says they've run out of things to say, "like an old married couple", but really they talk a lot about David's brother just like an an old married couple. Then in Perfetc, it ends with them excited about going to Paris together. Oh, how I wish they had gone to Paris together. WGC comes out of nowhere. This is where their relationship makes no sense to me at all. As far as I'm concerned, you can't even analyze anything from this point on because M & D are not acting like themselves. Starting with David ogling Demi Moore in the elevator and flirting with Annie...we've all seen David admire a beautiful woman before, but that was just too much. When the episode starts we have no reason to think David & Maddie are on the outs. What happened??? This is why I love fan fiction so much because it gives M & D the love story they deserve. Not only deserve, but I think would have actually had, had the show had Season 5 writers that actually knew and cared about M & D. Sandra's fan fiction is some of the best I've ever read. She writes M & D in character, and it's so believable. If you haven't read her story, "Mother Knows Best", you're really missing something. Anyhow, I need to stop and take a breath now.
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Post by Marlena on Feb 6, 2021 17:01:39 GMT -5
Me again. Sorry if I came off as a bit high strung. I just read everything and feel like I have so much to say, but then I have to type everything...ugh. Be so much easier to talk it out. Plus, I'm trying to do this while at work. It's all in fun, though. I appreciate everyone's opinions about this wonderful show.
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marta
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Post by marta on Feb 6, 2021 18:55:13 GMT -5
Do not give it another thought. I haven’t noticed anything of the high strung sort.
It is an enormous buzz that you read what I have written and you say that you’ve thought about it. Our dynamics must be passionate – we are both (all of us) enormously invested in the show and practically on the opposite sides of how we understand it. How does it go with the ‘not the destination but the road’? This is what we are doing here. I dropped IMHO first then I dropped even IMO, now I ram my views sans softeners. I have a feeling that this might have put some people off and they do not contribute because of it, so it is good that I had a chance to explain.
A passionate response to your post is in production!
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essed
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Post by essed on Feb 7, 2021 0:52:33 GMT -5
NotJuanJones, thank you for sharing your story. I especially liked your notion of a “moment.” I do agree that a volatile relationship would be exhausting and not sustainable *In Real Life*. My husband and I may be opposites but we are not fighters, so that is one more thing we have in common! I hope you are keeping a tally, Marta! Now, here comes my but... I don’t hold David and Maddie to *IRL* standards. I guess this is where suspension of disbelief comes in? I concede some believability in order to enjoy the story. A former model loses everything except a detective agency, so she just decides to become a detective. Sure, okay. Anything is possible in that world. Marta, I honestly laughed out loud at your warning about pie fights, I will steer clear of googling anything pie related. Regarding David’s lack of career ambition, isn’t there more to life? He became a partner in a moderately successful detective agency that sustained employees who wanted “no work and pay.” Maddie may be more serious in her attitude towards work but their results are the same. Neither approach is correct, just different. I completely agree that Maddie not wanting to de-Dave was hugely significant and respectful. But, avoiding David for four and a half months and marrying a stranger on the way home negated her good intentions. If she doesn’t want David she should have the decency to tell him definitively. The points she made in the laundry mat were also cancelled out by telling him he better not dance with anyone else. She doesn’t want him but she doesn’t want anyone else to have him either, that is cold blooded! I love Maddie but I really struggled to like her in S4, the same way I struggled to like David in S5. He is immature in the work place, but she is immature in the relationship. Neither is wrong, they are learning from each other, trying to find balance. Sandra, thank you for sharing Maddie the cat’s beautiful final moments with us. Thinking of you. I finished my assignments so I will celebrate with some wine and your newest fanfic tonight! Moonlightingml, I totally agree about the confusing mess of S5!! I genuinely liked some of the episodes but the season overall felt unplanned and discordant. I remember missing a few episodes during the transition to Sunday nights. So, when the Annie arc (spit) started it seemed so out of place to me, if it came earlier in the season I could understand. I can see her visiting after the loss of the baby to support Maddie, providing comfort to David, and to act as a catalyst for their relationship. That storyline would have made sense to me, but what was presented was not organic, none of it felt right in the moment. Also, I will never be okay with her getting meaningful screen time in the series finale. So, my challenge to everyone is please explain Annie to me! Why was she there, what was her purpose?! Virginia Madsen is a lovely actress but I have hated her for most of my life and that does not seem healthy. Please help me move past this trauma. 😂
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Ramblings
Feb 7, 2021 3:43:01 GMT -5
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Post by notjuanjones on Feb 7, 2021 3:43:01 GMT -5
So very, very much to unpack! I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just...begin.
First, S5. I think we all agree that very little of it makes sense, and almost none after AWWAV. I would posit that BAYAAHP is where things went completely off the rails, both in terms of plot and character development. Everything in the past year-plus, both calendar and season-wise, going back to the four-episode arc at the end of S3, returned consistently to one fact: while David and Maddie may have been inconsistent in their actions and thoughts toward one another, and even deliberately hurt one another’s feelings at times, neither was ever cavalier about the baby. Ever. David made determined, impressive attempts toward being a good father. And whatever we thought of Maddie leaving and all that happened afterward, she was serious about being a good mother to that child. So their behaviors in that episode literally make no sense. David is a lot of things, but he cared about Maddie, desperately; he would not abandon her at THAT moment, of all moments, no matter how shattered he was. And after four years of talking themselves silly, it’s simply incongruous that M and D would have nothing to say to one another after suffering such an emotional trauma together. They never talked about their joint and individual feelings over losing the baby. Ever. ESPECIALLY in the elevator! And it was heartbreaking that the writers didn’t even try.
But, also, to Essed’s point: it’s a TV show! It’s hard to stay focused on that, and especially more than 35 (!) years later, when I’m STILL discussing the show with people I don’t know (but whose company I enjoy!). The purpose of network TV is to draw ratings. Weeks and weeks of lament and internal dialogues about losing a child may have made sense for those of us who truly came to care about the characters, but it’s a bummer for the Nielsens. (David and Maddie torture themselves again, tonight at 9.) So I have to cut the writers some slack here; they DID have to fill an hour and try to salvage the show, so I can understand them trying, fitfully, to get back to the flirty banter and inane plots to bring back more fans-even as it made no emotional sense given the show’s turn beginning at the end of S3.
Lastly (because this is way long already): I know I read older posts where it was explained that Perfetc was actually supposed to be the final episode of S5, but for various reasons it was moved to the middle...and then, of course, the Annie arc was developed, the show was cancelled and there was no S6. If Perfetc had indeed ended S5, the notion of M and D going to Paris to end S5 makes much more sense and kindles some hope that they could re-start the relationship.
And I can’t explain Annie at all. At all. It is, to use the word again, incongruous for someone who purportedly loves and is close to her cousin to begin and continue an affair with the one man on the face of the earth she KNOWS her cousin has been, torturously, involved with. My best friend has dated several women over the years. Some have been quite attractive. But even if I were single, you don’t date your best friend’s exes! Ever!! It would have more sense if David had begun an affair with Agnes-at least they had genuine affection for one another, and a relationship that predated Maddie’s arrival.
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marta
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Post by marta on Feb 7, 2021 5:57:38 GMT -5
Ouch!
On season 5
I have to agree, season 5 is a bit messy. I learned about Perfetc sometime ago and tried to find another example in ML where issues from an episode should have been, but were not followed up. There are a few examples, but they are very weak. In this type of show they didn’t have to be followed up. The Paris thing is different and does feel somewhat odd.
There is a relationship confusion: do they or don’t they? I think this is deliberate to keep the tension up, could go either way at the drop of a hat.
In my view, Maddie is falling out of love, her behaviour is consistent enough. She is more and more relaxed, not paying David more attention than friendliness and politeness calls for in the third portion of S5. Look at the introduction of D to A in WGC, she is in the moment with A, D is not relevant much. A similar scene plays out in EKNM when David sticks his head into her office when she is with Donnigan. David is not the centre of her attention, as he used to be. In WGC Maddie goes to bed after their clubbing and sleeps leaving these two on their own. Would any sane woman in love do that knowing both A and D? She may be unpleasantly surprised next morning, but if in love she would not leave them on their own, her subconscious would not let her do it. I think this is why there are deliberate shots showing her soundly sleeping.
On what David would or would not do as an ML character.
David did leave M on her own in BAYAAHP. This is what happened. The same with the lift scene. This is how he behaved. You guys simply wish him to be a different David, but he is as he is shown and these behaviours are NOT out of character. He may love M but he is unable to communicate with her, especially if she insists that she is ‘fine’, as she always does. We were never shown a moment like in the lift in WGC but, probably, David has been always like that, at least it is implied throughout the ML run.
I think the only desirable resolution in BAYAAHP would be if M had shown vulnerability and turned to him for help. But it could not be (they had to be kept apart), she has not been the type, it is psychologically consistent and she is not sure whether getting help from him is the right thing to do for her. It all fits to me.
As to pushing and pulling in the laundromat: David got the answer that he deserved, he deliberately weakened M’s resolve by asking her to dance with him. He shouldn’t have done it for his own good! (half kidding here).
On A's presence in ML
Oh, come on. Everybody knows an Annie! She always does something crazy, is indulged by her hubby, bored with her life and attracted to a bad boy reputation like a moth to a flame! You can see a moment in WGC when she decides to go for David no matter what. Maddie says that she is not involved with D anymore. A knows she has done ‘a crummy thing’, but cannot hep herself. The point of A is to show how sweet David can be, we were not afforded that opportunity earlier. He is very sweet with Terri too, but it is platonic, so here he can really shine. He says: ‘it is so easy with you’ to both these women, would not dream of sexual innuendo or touching Terri’s bottom. And he displays nesting behaviour! Very significant. He seems ready, but for what or for whom?
You obviously remember that M started nesting too and now knows 1001 ways with giblets. Pity, Det. Sgt. Donnigan does not eat after 6 pm and could not learn how yummy the sauce was.
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Post by notjuanjones on Feb 7, 2021 9:30:36 GMT -5
Ouch! On season 5 I have to agree, season 5 is a bit messy. I learned about Perfetc sometime ago and tried to find another example in ML where issues from an episode should have been, but were not followed up. There are a few examples, but they are very weak. In this type of show they didn’t have to be followed up. The Paris thing is different and does feel somewhat odd. There is a relationship confusion: do they or don’t they? I think this is deliberate to keep the tension up, could go either way at the drop of the hat. In my view, Maddie is falling out of love, her behaviour is consistent enough. She is more and more relaxed, not paying David more attention than friendliness and politeness calls for in the third portion of S5. Look at the introduction of D to A in WGC, she is in the moment with A, D is not relevant much. A similar scene plays out in EKNM when David sticks his head into her office when she is with Donnigan. David is not the centre of her attention, as he used to be. In WGC Maddie goes to bed after their clubbing and sleeps leaving these two on their own. Would any sane woman in love do that knowing both A and D? She may be unpleasantly surprised next morning, but if in love she would not leave them on their own, her subconscious would not let her do it. I think this is why there are deliberate shots showing her soundly sleeping. On what David would or would not do as an ML character. David did leave M on her own in BAYAAHP. This is what happened. The same with the lift scene. This is how he behaved. You guys simply wish him to be a different David, but he is as he is shown and these behaviours are NOT out of character. He may love M but he is unable to communicate with her, especially if she insists that she is ‘fine’, as she always does. We were never shown a moment like in the lift in WGC but, probably, David has been always like that, at least it is implied throughout the ML run. I think the only desirable resolution in BAYAAHP would be if M had shown vulnerability and turned to him for help. But it could not be (they had to be kept apart), she has not been the type, it is psychologically consistent and she is not sure whether getting help from him is the right thing to do for her. It all fits to me. As to pushing and pulling in the laundromat: David got the answer that he deserved, he deliberately weakened M’s resolve by asking her to dance with him. He shouldn’t have done it for his own good! (half kidding here). On A's presence in ML Oh, come on. Everybody knows an Anne! She always does something crazy, is indulged by her hubby, bored with her life and attracted to a bad boy reputation like a moth to a flame! You can see a moment in WGC when she decides to go for David no matter what. Maddie says that she is not involved with D anymore. A knows she has done ‘a crummy thing’, but cannot hep herself. The point of A is to show how sweet David can be, we were not afforded that opportunity earlier. He is very sweet with Terry too, but it is platonic, so here he can really shine. He says: ‘it is so easy with you’ to both these women, would not dream of sexual innuendo or touching Terry’s bottom. And he displays nesting behaviour! Very significant. He seems ready, but for what or for whom? You obviously remember that M started nesting too and now knows 1001 ways with giblets. Pity, Det. Sgt. Donnigan does not eat after 6 pm and could not learn how yummy the sauce was. I agree with about a third of this. That's okay; friends and posters can disagree-what a boring world it would be if we all saw everything the same way. I do agree with you that Maddie is no longer in love with David as S5 goes on, and certainly no longer consumed by him. The "relationship" part (you know what I mean) of their relationship is over. In fact, during Perfetc, they have a very meaningful car talk-meaningful for two reasons, to me. One has nothing to do with the topic; it's just a wonderful moment (that word again!): as M and D argue about Brock Ash and whether D thinks it's important to be remembered or immortalized: M: You sure have taken this case close to your bosom. D: First of all, this case is nowhere even near my bosom. And second of all, I don't have a bosom, and most men I know don't have bosoms. And third, vive la difference: I'm just trying to explain where Ash is coming from, that's all. As David talks, the producer takes a shot of Maddie, smiling from ear to ear, genuinely laughing with, not at, David as he speaks. I don't think that was Maddie smiling and laughing; it was Cybill, and they used it anyway, and I thought it was a nice gesture to show that, even in S5, Cybill and Bruce weren't always at each other's throats, that there was a reason the show worked in the first place. Whatever they've been through, he still makes her laugh. And, seconds later, as M injects their relationship into the conversation ("you call that car accident we were in a 'relationship,'" D says underneath her), he cuts to the chase: "that's why it didn't work, Maddie: we talked it to death." And then, her face falls, not just in sadness, but in contemplation. And then she says, looking down-as she always does when she knows she's crossed a line (BMOMS, EDFIAV): "Yeah. I guess we did." So, yes: D is no longer centered in M's world-he's still part of her life, but she's moved on. I disagree on David's "character as a character," though, and I'm not even a David fan-I am, and always will be, in the corner of Madelyn Hayes. Yes, David couldn't articulate his feelings well. That is a consistent trait throughout the show. But that doesn't change the fact that he changed, significantly, once he learned M was pregnant, with what he thought was his child. And even after he learned it wasn't, and after he tries to humiliate her and Walter in MHGM, he is tender and protective of M by episode's end. Because she's having a baby, and he wants to help her, just as he helped Terri. My point is whatever problems he had articulating his own feelings, his actions were of someone who cared deeply about the baby, and by extension, the baby's mother. He buys all kinds of toys and sets up the baby's room for Terri when she comes home with her child. He didn't abandon her when she was alone. It is simply inconsistent that he would not only be absent at that particular moment for Maddie, but would prolong the absence. I suppose one could argue he's doing to her what she did to him by running away to Chicago and staying there. But that didn't involve the loss of a child. David is many things, but he does have a strong moral streak-at least, his version of morality. His Catholicism is real and moves him to action throughout the show's run (IGWSS, ACGA..NSG). It is not consistent, then, that he would abandon Maddie after she loses the baby. He might be mute and he might not be able to comfort her, and she might well push him away. But he would be there. It simply acts as a vehicle for David to be especially and unusually cruel to her. Which brings us to Annie. You're right; we all know an Annie: self-centered, bored, indulged, all the things you said. My point is she could have had all those qualities and traits and been introduced into the story arc and remained in the arc and not been Maddie's cousin! She could have been a client with a case, or a woman David met at the supermarket-or Agnes' college roommate. Or MacGillicudy's best friend. Making her related to Maddie, and then making it clear that she cares for Maddie deeply, but still having her jump into bed with David, anyway, and contemplate a life with him afterward, makes her actions...cruel. And unnecessarily so. She is rubbing Maddie's nose in it, as is David. Yes, we all think of ways we can stick it to our exes at times-drop 20 pounds, get a better job/house/car, show up with a ridiculously gorgeous man or woman on your arm at the next reunion. But that "ex" is almost never related to us! You could have had Annie and David do and say all of the things they did and said in that arc, and it would have been just as tough for Maddie to take, without Annie being related to her. That just hacked me off royally. I just thought it was cruel. Doesn't mean I'm right.
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